Coronavirus and Scotland

Scottish Affairs Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 12 May 2020 Closed: 1 Feb 2021 Parliament page
The Committee will be inquiring into the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on: the four-nation approach intergovernmental communication scientific advice policy divergence the impact of coronavirus on various sectors in Scotland Read the call for evidence for more detail about the inquiry
16 Recommendations
6 Conclusions
2 Reports
10 Oral sessions
5 Letters
11 Events
Activity timeline 20 events
1 Feb
2021
Report published
1 Feb
2021
Report published
4 Nov
2020
Correspondence
22 Oct
2020
Report published
15 Oct
2020
Correspondence
8 Oct
2020
Correspondence
17 Sep
2020
Oral evidence
10 Sep
2020
Oral evidence
3 Sep
2020
Oral evidence
23 Jul
2020
Report published
16 Jul
2020
Formal meeting (private meeting) · Virtual meeting
9 Jul
2020
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 10 sessions
17 Sep 2020
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Gillian McGregor CBE · Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland Iain Stewart MP · Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland Rt Hon Alister Jack MP · Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland
10 Sep 2020
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Dr Donald Macaskill · Scottish Care Theresa Fyffe · Royal College of Nursing Scotland Wilma Brown · NHS Fife
3 Sep 2020
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Elspeth Macdonald · Scottish Fishermen's Federation Jimmy Buchan · Scottish Seafood Association John Anderson · Scottish Fishermen's Organisation
9 Jul 2020
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Colette Cohen · Oil and Gas Technology Company Deirdre Michie · Oil and Gas UK Professor John Underhill · Institute of GeoEnergy Engineering
2 Jul 2020
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David Phillips · Institute for Fiscal Studies Professor Alasdair Smith · Scottish Fiscal Commission
25 Jun 2020
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James Withers · Scotland Food and Drink Jonnie Hall · National Farmers Union of Scotland Karen Betts · Food and Drink Federation
18 Jun 2020
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Akash Paun · Institute for Government Professor David Bell · University of Stirling Professor Linda Bauld · University of Edinburgh Professor Nicola McEwen · University of Glasgow
11 Jun 2020
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Jeane Freeman OBE · Scottish Government Professor Jason Leitch · Scottish Government
21 May 2020
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Dr Gregor Smith, Interim Chief Medical Officer for Scotland Professor Andrew Morris · Scottish Government’s Covid-19 Advisory Group Professor Sheila Rowan, Chief Scientific Adviser for Scotland
14 May 2020
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Douglas Ross · Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland Gillian McGregor · Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland Rt Hon Alister Jack · Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland
Recommendations & Conclusions
6 results
Clear
11 Recommendation Accepted
First Report: Coronavirus and Scot…
In addition, we recommend that both the UK and Scottish Governments should consider increasing the...
In addition, we recommend that both the UK and Scottish Governments should consider increasing the number of ‘on the ground’ public health officials in key advisory roles to complement the expertise of academics.
Government Response
The government states that SAGE already has strong representation from public health officials and provides details on existing scientific advisory structures and information sharing, but does not commit to increasing their number.
Scotland Office
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12 Conclusion Accepted
First Report: Coronavirus and Scot…
The concept of the Joint Biosecurity Centre has been broadly welcomed by the witnesses we...
The concept of the Joint Biosecurity Centre has been broadly welcomed by the witnesses we heard from, particularly the opportunity for the sharing and development of data sets. However, some questions around the role of the Centre remain, particularly how … Read more
Government Response
The government confirmed that UK and Scottish Governments agreed and enacted secondary legislation allowing the Joint Biosecurity Centre to carry out functions in Scotland, directly addressing concerns about devolved nation involvement.
Scotland Office
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2 Conclusion Accepted
Second Report - Coronavirus and Sc…
We welcome the review of intergovernmental working and look forward to seeing the results of...
We welcome the review of intergovernmental working and look forward to seeing the results of the report. We intend to return to this issue later in the Parliament.
Government Response
The government confirms its commitment to concluding the Intergovernmental Relations (IGR) review, provides an update on recent discussions with Devolved Administrations, and details new measures being implemented to enhance transparency, reporting, and parliamentary engagement on IGR.
Scotland Office
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3 Conclusion Accepted
Second Report - Coronavirus and Sc…
The evidence we received covering the general role of the Office of the Secretary of...
The evidence we received covering the general role of the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland has been helpful. We look forward to hearing a response to the recommendation in the interim report about the specific role of … Read more
Government Response
The government describes the existing activities and engagement of the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland during the pandemic, including advising on agreements and providing information to HMT, arguing that its effective role often takes place quietly.
Scotland Office
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9 Conclusion Accepted
Second Report - Coronavirus and Sc…
Scottish exports make a major contribution to the Scottish economy and the risks to those...
Scottish exports make a major contribution to the Scottish economy and the risks to those key export sectors ought to be a major concern of both the UK and Scottish Governments. We have heard about the huge reduction in exports … Read more
Government Response
The government describes existing and ongoing actions to support Scottish exports, including the launch of a UK Trade Hub in Edinburgh to help businesses grow internationally and progress on new trade agreements.
Scotland Office
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10 Recommendation Accepted
Second Report - Coronavirus and Sc…
We recommend that when the UK Government plans for future pandemics it considers all three...
We recommend that when the UK Government plans for future pandemics it considers all three areas—immigration, supply chain and exports—as part of the whole picture. Where responsibility is devolved to Scotland, the UK Government and Scottish Government should work closely … Read more
Government Response
The government states it has long recognized the threat of pandemics and involved Devolved Administrations in past planning, citing the 2011 UK Influenza Preparedness Strategy and their involvement in Exercise Cygnus and the Coronavirus Act. The response focuses on existing coordination and past efforts, without committing to new annual reviews or explicitly outlining how future plans will specifically integrate immigration, supply chain, and exports.
Scotland Office
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Government Response AI assessment · 22 of 16 classified
Accepted 6
Accepted in Part 1
Acknowledged 2
Deferred 6
Not Addressed 6
Rejected 1
Total 16 recs + 6 conclusions
Correspondence 5 letters
4 Nov 2020 Follow-up email from the Royal College of Nursing Scotland, relating to current priorities and calling for a clear timetable for implementation of the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act, 25 September 2020
Parliament page
15 Oct 2020 To committee Letter from Gillian McGregor, Director, Scotland Office, re: Coronavirus and Scotland: Interim Report on Intergovernmental Working, 7-10-20
Parliament page
8 Oct 2020 Correspondence with the Secretary of State for Scotland, follow-up to evidence session of 17 September, 24-09-20 and 5-10-20
Parliament page
22 Jun 2020 To committee Letter from the interim Chief Medical Officer for Scotland providing additional information on Coronavirus and Scottish Care Homes, 16-06-20
Parliament page
22 Jun 2020 From committee Letter to the interim Chief Medical Officer for Scotland requesting additional information in relation to Coronavirus and Scottish Care Homes, 3-06-20
Parliament page